Biography.guide
Home › People › Chemist › Alain Devaquet
Portrait of Alain Devaquet

Alain Devaquet

1942 – 2018

French politician

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Alain Devaquet

Lived 1942 – 2018 (aged 75). Alain Devaquet was a French chemist, politician and university teacher.

Alain Devaquet (4 October 1942 – 19 January 2018) was a French politician who was a minister under Jacques Chirac. A university professor before embarking on his political career with the Rally for the Republic, Devaquet was given the role of junior minister for universities. In this role he became the public face of a controversial proposal to reform the higher education system in 1986, the proposals becoming known as the Devaquet Law, despite originating from more senior members of the government. The plan allowed universities to be more selective in the admission of students and to charge fees.

The reaction against the proposals was strong, with mass protests by students and some strikes in support of their opposition. With the mobilisation of students also closely linked to other proposals aimed at tightening immigration laws, things came to a head with the death of Malik Oussekine, a student bystander who died in police custody on 6 December 1986 and whose death prompted mass outpouring of anger. The law was withdrawn two days later and Devaquet was forced to resign, although the incident proved a strong blow to the government and enhanced the profile of François Mitterrand due to his opposition.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Science Faculty of Paris, École normale supérieure de lettres et sciences humaines, École normale supérieure de Lyon
Positions held
Member of the French National Assembly
Employers
University of Paris-Sud, École polytechnique

People in Alain Devaquet's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Alain Devaquet's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Alain Devaquet?

French politician (1942–2018)

When was Alain Devaquet born?

Alain Devaquet was born on 4 October 1942 in Raon-l'Étape.

When did Alain Devaquet die?

Alain Devaquet died on 21 January 2018 in Villejuif.

What was Alain Devaquet's occupation?

Alain Devaquet was a chemist, politician and university teacher.

What nationality was Alain Devaquet?

Alain Devaquet was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Alain Devaquet

· Wikidata: Q2829736

· DBpedia: Alain Devaquet

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Alain Devaquet. https://biography.guide/alain-devaquet/

MLA: "Alain Devaquet." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/alain-devaquet/.

Chicago: "Alain Devaquet." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/alain-devaquet/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:31 UTC